Pops artists, like the orchestras they perform with, took a hit last season. Now they are beginning to return to orchestra stages across the country and hitting a note of realistic optimism. Ten pops artists reveal how they have fared, what they have missed, what they most look forward to, and what they have planned for the season ahead.
Musicians have been taking new roles at orchestras during the pandemic, commissioning and performing new music, stepping up as soloists, and curating and filming performances, often outdoors—even in an airplane hangar.
Five orchestra musicians are doing critically important work in their communities—work that is being honored by the League of American Orchestras’ Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service.
Orchestras are adopting new health protocols to keep everyone safe for the return of in-person concerts this fall. The emergence of the Delta variant and shifting COVID-19 infection rates mean that proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test, plus masking and social distancing, are being implemented for audiences, musicians, and staff alike. Actions vary from orchestra to orchestra, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. How is everyone coping?
In an excerpt from his new book, Dvořák’s Prophecy and the Vexed Fate of Classical Music, Joseph Horowitz examines why classical music in America “stayed white” and failed to become more inclusive.
Musicians of Asian descent are visible on orchestra stages across the country, but their numbers do not reflect their voice, power, or influence, and many experience maltreatment or marginalization in their professional lives.
The League of American Orchestras’ 2021 National Conference featured new ideas, new voices, new formats, new music, and drew thousands of orchestra professionals—all online.
Arts organizations have long been dominated by the singular artistic leader at the top whose vision sets the course for the organization. As society changes and expectations for the sharing of power grow, that model is shifting in exciting ways. The Public Theater in New York is embracing a model of shared artistic leadership, with new voices and perspectives at the top—and is finding fresh success. What might orchestras learn? League President and CEO Simon Woods interviews Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater.
Michael Morgan (1957-2021) was committed to music education, community connections, and social justice—and he transformed the orchestras he conducted and the way we think about orchestras’ roles in the world. Members of the classical music community share their memories.
In this issue: Orchestras Mark 20th Anniversary of 9/11; Sounds of Summer; New Homes for Orchestras; Women Composers on the Map